Old Favorites from the McGuffey Readers

the long version

From 1836 until near the close of this century, McGuffey exerted the greatest influence, culturally, of any person in American history. McGuffey's religious, moral, and ethical influence over millions of Americans, especially in the Middle West is beyond computing, and it still remains the American standard. He taught rugged individualism, the dignity of labor, the basic virtues of thrift, honesty and charity, and pointed the punishment of doers of evil in a hundred examples. - Preface.